By: IrisCX • 20 October 2022

These 3 critical moments can make-or-break your customer experience

Customers want service options that meet their needs

As CX continues to evolve, one thing remains constant: consumers prioritize speed, cost, convenience, and friendly, helpful service.The problem is, none of the standard channels for home product customer support check all of these boxes.Chatbots are fast and convenient, but not always knowledgeable or friendly. Phone support is friendly and knowledgeable, but not fast or convenient.A recent study from Twilio showed what Americans would rather do than contact customer service, and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture.

We’re living in a time where human to human interaction with the businesses we buy from is relatively rare. These engagements will continue to become more valuable.Unfortunately, the status quo for ‘human support’ is not scalable. The complexity of products and the number of customers has outgrown traditional customer service.Phone support leads to, on average, 3 attempts and over an hour and a half on hold to solve a single issue. It’s leaving customers frustrated and seeking alternatives.That’s where smart video interactions come in.We’ve identified three of the most critical moments in the customer journey and how you can use smart video to exceed customer expectations every step of the way.

Upgrading the most important CX moments

When customers buy a new product, there are three moments that really make-or-break the experience – when they choose the product, when they set it up, and when something goes wrong.If you meet your customer needs at each of these three touchpoints, you’re already pulling ahead of your competitors.Let’s break down each of the touchpoints in more detail:

Choose

Your customer has decided they need the product, they’ve narrowed it down to a few reputable brands. Now, it’s time to decide on a model that will work in their home. This stage is often left to suppliers at home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes, who don’t have an investment in the success of your brand.Customers are overwhelmed with options and might suffer from choice paralysis or choose a product that isn’t the right fit for their home. By offering consultations at this stage in their journey, you can make sure the product fits their needs, offer incentives, and reduce the risk of the customer abandoning or returning their purchase.Companies like Behr are creating more meaningful engagement with their customers by offering virtual color consultations.

Setup

Your customer has purchased the product, and now they are figuring out how to install it in their home. Although products are getting more complex, most people are willing to set them up themselves if they have a guide to follow. However, if you leave the set-up of your products in the hands of other customers on YouTube or Quora, there’s a risk your customers will end up frustrated and return the product.Context is important for a good experience setting up home products. Although one person may have been successful setting up their product a certain way, it doesn’t necessarily apply across the board. By connecting directly with customers and learning about their specific needs, you can provide more accurate and dynamic guidance.Tushy does a great job of providing guidance for most issues their customers could encounter during the installation process.

After-sale

After your customer has been using the product for months, something could go wrong and they will need to contact your team for support. Companies often provide support over live chat, phone and email, however this gives no visual context about the issue at hand.With smart video, your team can see exactly what the issue is, provide more effective support, and most importantly, capture and use that data to make service better in the future. Ensure the issue is resolved and educate customers on how to increase product longevity, providing them with a valuable visual resource to consult in the future.

Smart video is the next step for CX

Home products simplify and improve the way we live. It’s time for the customer experience to reflect that, too.IrisCX is the world’s best customer interaction platform for home product companies. Our smart video platform allows consumers to either self-assess their issue, schedule a time to talk to a service expert or show a service expert what their concern is to receive help in real-time.With Iris, you can apply the data generated from video sessions to create a more cohesive understanding of your customers and start delivering the service they want to receive.

Our mission is to simplify the homeowners & home builders customer experience. Let Iris do the work.

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